GUNS Magazine March 2013 Digital Edition - Page 93

QUARTERMASTER FEATURING GUNS ALL-STARS! Black RiFle Bolt-ons BleSSing or cUrSe? it dePendS…. US TACTICAL SYSTEMS The Back-Up Twenty buttstock gives you a rapid reload when you may need it most. s there a proper word to describe an object that lends itself to accessorizing? Would that quality be called something like “accessorizability”? Beats me, but every time I see a firing line of AR-15s in a carbine class, the array of bolt-on baubles, clamp-on tchotchkes and screw-in gizmos stuns me. Without a doubt, Gene Stoner’s platform is the most accessorized and customized firearm in history. It seems like you could drag a bare bones AR down the aisle of a gunshop and optics, lights, lasers, slings, bipods-tripods-monopods and monkey-pods would leap off the shelves and attach themselves. It’s not a bad thing; in fact it’s great to be able to set up your AR with precisely the gear you want for a given application. I have to question the utility of mounting a hydraulic clam-digger or an electric MRE heater on your quad rail though. Here we’ll try to show you some purely practical gadgets, OK? only serves to differentiate it from its much bigger brother, their Range Brass Catcher, but the Tactical is light, compact, and dumping it is as simple as pulling out the sliding tray. Different variants attach to either a quad rail or standard delta ring, and models are available to also fit AR-10s, AK-47s and the M1A SOCOM 16. This is the first brass catcher I’ve found that’s not more trouble than it’s worth. I’ve found it easy to attach, use and remove, and it sure is better than pickin’ through other people’s “mystery brass” and those Russian steel cases. Price range is from $137 to $147. I John Connor CATCH YOUR BRASS Simple, strong and compact, the Tactical Brass Catcher can save your back—and lots of bucks. Back-Up TweNTy The Back-Up Twenty buttstock by US Tactical Systems, a division of Versa-Pod, is a must-have for police cruiser carbines, but it’s also eminently practical for a citizen’s “truck carbine” too. It neatly stores a loaded mil-spec metal 20-round magazine in a springloaded compartment, sealed from dust and debris. When you need it, you just pull out and down on the recessed T-latch, swing the buttplate hatch open, and punch the button on the right side to pop it right out. There’s even a window so you can visually confirm a mag’s presence. Constructed of DuPont Zytel, it’s the same length as a standard A2 buttstock, and just as strong. The Back-Up Twenty mounts on your rifle-length receiver extension and uses your standard buffer and spring. It comes in a non-reflective dark gray finish, and is equipped with a fixed steel 1.25" sling loop in the toe. I’ve had one on a Rock River carbine for months now, and really like it. Price is $199.95 TUFF1 Solve that slippery pistol grip problem with a Tuff1 Gun Grip Cover. TimNey TriGGerS There’s nothing that will shrink your groups and sharpen your skills like a crisp-breaking quality trigger for your AR, and thankfully, there are several really good unitized drop-in models available. I’ve written before about American Trigger Corporation’s AR Gold, the Chip McCormick trigger module, and Wilson Combat’s TTU— Tactical Trigger Unit. I use all three and they’re fine units, and now the trigger giant Timney offers drop-in units in 3-, 4- and 4.5-pound pull weights. All components are captive in a lightweight aluminum housing. They feature wire-EDM machined hammers of S7 tool steel and other parts of A2 tool steel, precision-ground to produce a creep-free single-stage trigger pull which feels more like a traditional bolt action trigger than a combat rifle trigger. They install using your original hammer and trigger pins, and they’re available with a traditional solid trigger shoe or a lighter-weight skeletonized shoe. Brownells carries all of these and the complete lineup of Timney AR 93 SIGHTMARK Sightmark’s Tactical Red Dot sight packs a lot of value for a very low price. caTch yoUr BraSS If your back screams at the thought of picking up all those expended cartridges from your AR, or, your wallet burns at the thought of leaving ’em on the ground, check out the Tactical Brass Catcher from Catch Your Brass. I think the “Tactical” label TRIJICON The tiny Trijicon TA44, is an overlooked MVP in the ACOG lineup. W W W. G U N S M AG A Z I N E . C O M